


It Takes a Man

by RockfordGirl26



Series: It Takes A Man [1]
Category: The Rockford Files
Genre: Dennis Becker character, Eventual Romance, F/M, Jim Rockford character, Older Man/Younger Woman, One Night Stand, The Rockford Files TV Show, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2020-07-20 14:17:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19993609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockfordGirl26/pseuds/RockfordGirl26
Summary: Jim Rockford and Dennis Becker's twenty-year-old Niece, Janessa have a one night stand that results in pregnancy. Jim is a perpetual bachelor, so how does the news of impending fatherhood settle with the Private Eye?Features OFC Janessa Becker.Very loosely inspired by "It Takes a Man" by Chris Young, but this is not a songfic





	1. Chapter 1

Jim Rockford was running late. What was new? His client had gotten him into a jam and it took a little longer than he expected to get out of it. Luckily he made it out without a black eye or a busted lip. Jim was supposed to be at Dennis and Peg's house for a cookout an hour ago. He had called from his trailer to tell them he would be late. He always kept a change of clothes there. That's right, Jim Rockford's trailer was no longer his home. It was now just his office.

Jim pulled into Dennis's driveway and cut the engine on his Firebird. He stopped in his tracks as he went around the corner of the house into the backyard. He saw his reasons for getting up every morning to work with clients who get him into sticky situations without a second thought about his safety. He saw his wife, Janessa, helping Peggy, her aunt, set the table.

Janessa was Dennis's brother's daughter, She was as beautiful now as she had ever been. Even more so now that she was seven months pregnant with their third child. Jim's concentration was broken by the sound of his sons, Tag and Freddy, laughing. They were playing football with their Uncle Dennis. Jim knew he was a lucky man. No matter how many good things he did, he would never feel like he deserved the life he was given.

Janessa walked over to her husband and greeted him with a peck on the lips. "Hi, honey. How was work?"

Jim gave her one of his lopsided grins, "Aw, it was fine. Nothing I couldn't handle."

He put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. As Janessa stood there in her uncle's backyard with her arms around her husband's waist, watching her sons play, and feeling the newest addition to the Rockford Clan give kicks that would rival the Rams' punter, she couldn't help but think back to the beginning. Back to a time when she almost didn't have all of this.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
5 years earlier:

Chapter 2

5 years earlier:

It wasn't every day that Jim Rockford got invited to celebrate his best friend's 20th wedding anniversary. The truth was, he didn't have many friends that made it 20 years into a marriage. Jim wasn't going to miss this for the world.

With that said, Rocky was standing in the kitchen yelling for Jim to hurry up. "Hey, sonny, come on. This is gonna be a real nice party for Dennis and Peg and I don't wanna be late. Remember that time we was late the last time they had a party? Dennis was sore about it for a week."

Jim walked into the kitchen wearing a red button-up shirt and black pants. He had his black jacket half on, "Okay, dad. I'm ready. I just need to find my keys." he patted his pockets.

He looked up when he heard the rattle of keys to see Rocky holding them with a smug grin on his face. "Alright, Rocky. Let's go. We're only going to be a half-hour early. In fact, we'll probably be the first ones there."

They were in fact, practically, the first guests to arrive. There was only one other person there. Dennis was the first person to greet them when they walked through the door, "Hey, Jimbo, rocky! How's it going? Listen, I want you to meet my niece, Janessa. She's my brother Al's daughter."

Jim didn't hear a word Dennis said, "Hey, Jim." He waved his hand in front of Jim's face, "Jimbo,"

Jim shook his head, "Oh, sorry Dennis. I kinda zoned out there for a second" he said with an embarrassed smile.

"You better wake up, Jimbo," Dennis said.

He shrugged and said, "Anyway Jim, Janessa, Janessa, Jim" pointing from the older private eye and the young woman standing in front of him.

Janessa Becker was the most beautiful woman Jim Rockford had ever seen. She was fairly short, only about 5'2 and her body had curves in all the right places. She had beautiful green eyes and the softest looking olive-colored skin. Her face was framed by the softest looking wavy black hair. Jim held out his hand so he could introduce himself to her.

"Hi, I'm Jim. I had no clue Dennis had a niece."

Janessa gave Jim a smile that would light up the darkest room, "Yeah, I didn't get to see him much because he's so busy with his police work. I just graduated from beauty school and I'm looking for a job in a good salon. I want to save up to have my own salon one day."

Jim knew then that he could listen to her talk all day.

"So, Uncle Dennis says that you're a private detective," Janessa said while openly checking out the older man in front of her. She loved that red shirt on him, and she hoped she would get a chance to tell him that later. If she had to guess, she would say he was around 40.

Jim took a sip of his beer and answered, "Yeah, I have all types of people hire me to find someone, or find out information for them."

Janessa looked at Jim with amazement. She had never met a real private detective before. "Wow, that line of work must be interesting," 

He smiled. This was the usual reaction he got from women learned he was a PI, but she seemed like she genuinely cared about what he had to say, "Yeah, it sure can be. I've been shot at, beat up, my trailer was torn apart. You name it, they've done it. I guess it's just part of the job."

He could feel her eyes on him. If she was trying to hide the fact that she was checking him out, she wasn't doing a very good job. Enough about him, he wanted to learn more about the beautiful woman standing in front of him. "So, what made you want to go to beauty school?" Jim asked.

She shrugged her shoulders, "Oh, well, I've always liked doing hair and makeup and stuff. I just figured I might as well get paid to do something I love. I don't like blood, so I know I wouldn't make a very good nurse. It didn't hurt that my parents were totally against the idea of me going to beauty school. I guess they don't consider doing hair and makeup to be a real job. As soon as I graduated, I moved out and they haven't called to check up on me or anything."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

If Jim was honest with himself, he felt guilty for finding Janessa attractive. She was Dennis's niece. He could tell by the way Dennis talked to her that he loved her dearly. He had this ongoing internal battle going on in his head. It wasn't like she didn't return those feelings. Janessa was touching his arm every chance she got, she laughed at all of his jokes, and she followed him around all evening, getting him a fresh beer whenever he ran out. On one hand, Jim loved the attention he was receiving, but he knew he shouldn't enjoy getting from his best friend's niece.

Jim couldn't take it anymore. He needed some air. He needed to get his thoughts straight. He was 40, she was young enough to be his daughter, but she wasn't. He was an ex-con, granted he was given a full pardon by the state of California, who had a dangerous job. She was young and she had her whole life ahead of her. What could he possibly offer her except heartache? It was in Dennis's backyard that Jim decided that he would let the cards fall where they may, but he wouldn't pursue her. She had to make the first move.

Janessa Becker stood in the kitchen washing the dishes from the evening, but her mind was elsewhere. Her mind was in a twist. She really liked Jim. He was handsome and funny, but he was old enough to be her father and he was her Uncle Dennis's best friend. Was breaking up a long friendship really worth it. I mean, she knew Dennis a would be furious with Jim. That's just how he was. while she stood at the sink with her hands in the soapy water, she decided that if anything happened, she would let it happen.

By around 9:00 Rocky was ready to leave, and Dennis being the ever-gracious host that he is talked Jim into letting Rocky take the car back to his place, and Jim could stay and sleep on the couch, and Dennis would drop him off in the morning.

"Hey, Jimbo. So, what do you think of Janessa? Great kid, huh?" Dennis said.

Jim smiled, "Yeah, she really is. I can't believe her folks kicked her out for following her dream. So, she'll be staying with you and Peg till she finds her feet?" Finding out how long he would be staying with Dennis and Peg seemed like an important piece of information. 

Dennis nodded, "Yeah, that brother of mine can be a real jerk sometimes." He finished off the beer that was in his hand, "Yeah, since Scotty is off to school, she'll be using his room."

Dennis's hand clapped down on Jim's shoulder, "Hey, listen, if you ever need a hair cut, she'll hook you up. She's really great at what she does. I know she'll have her own place downtown one day."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The Next Morning at Dennis's house:

Jim woke up with an aching back and a killer headache. The mixture of too many beers and an uncomfortable couch left him feeling much older than he actually was. Just as he was stretching, Dennis briskly walked through the room. He had a half-eaten piece of toast in mouth and he was quickly putting his jacket on.

Dennis was frantically searching for his keys, "Hey, Jimbo. Listen, Captain Deal called me this morning, and I have to go in early because there was a problem with one of my cases. Peg's already at work, so Janessa said she would you home." He picked his keys and was halfway out the door, "Oh, and help yourself to some coffee. See ya later, and thanks for coming!"

As Jim hobbled into the kitchen he saw Janessa sitting at the table reading the morning paper.

"Hey, Jim. Man, you look rough. Uncle Dennis said that the couch can be a real killer. Here, you might need these." She handed him a glass of water and two Aspirin.

While Jim took the pills Janessa got up and poured him a cup of coffee. 

"Thanks." He swallowed the pills down with a glass of water, "Do you think we could leave soon? I'm supposed to meet a client this afternoon and I need to grab a shower and change." Jim grabbed one of the pieces of toast that Janessa had set in front of him. 

Janessa nodded, "Sure. I just need to put my shoes on and I'll be ready."

In Janessa's car:

The ride to Rocky's to get Jim's car was fairly silent. The pair didn't really know what to talk about. The only sound besides the radio was Jim's voice calling out directions every so often.

"Hey, Thanks again for giving me a ride to get my car, and for the toast and coffee," Jim said as Janessa pulled her Mustang into Rocky's driveway.

"Oh, it was really no problem. I need to learn my way around here anyway." She smiled and nodded her head, "I'm hoping to make it to the beach one of these days." 

"Hey, listen, I live on the beach. Why don't I meet you at Dennis's tonight around 6 and you can follow me there? I'll grill some burgers or something. It's the least I could do for all you've done for me."

Jim knew he was playing with fire, but she really was a nice girl and he wanted to help her out.

"That would be great! Thank you! I'll see you then!" Janessa pulled out of Rocky's driveway with a huge grin on her face and headed downtown to see if any of the hair salons were hiring.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think so far. What do you like? What don't you like? Thank you to all of you who have read my work!

Janessa was able to meet with some beauty shop owners and she filled out a few applications. She hoped to hear back from them within the next couple of days. She was so excited that things seemed to be really falling into place.

She was really looking forward to going to the beach later. She couldn't lie to herself, the thought of spending time with Jim gave her butterflies. Her feelings were still mixed up, but a friend was really what she needed.

Jim, on the other hand, was not having the best of luck. His client, Jane Allen, was looking for her son, who was involved with a loan shark had unknowingly sent him into an ambush. He had been looking for Tony Allen for two weeks and he had finally caught the break he needed.

Luckily, Jim was able to fight off the three men and bring Tony home safely. He walked away with some bruises, a little bleeding, and a couple of loose teeth. The happy ending wasn't that he had just reunited a mother with her son, but that he had actually been paid for his work.

By the time Jim finished with his client, it was 5:00 which meant he only had time for a quick shower and a change of clothes before he had to be at Dennis's to meet Janessa. Of course, no amount of hot water was going to wash off the fresh bruises left by the three goons that attacked him. He really hoped that the bruises wouldn't scare her off. Unfortunately, Jim's job could get dangerous at times. Nevertheless, Jim got in his car and drove to meet Janessa. He wasn't going to lie to himself, he was excited to see her again. He was just going to play it cool though, this girl needed someone around here she could trust. Someone who wasn't her uncle.

Jim pulled into Dennis's driveway at 6:00 on the dot. Janessa was already waiting for him outside. She walked up to his car and immediately looked concerned.

"Hey, you ready?" Jim saw the look on her face and saw that he needed to reassure her that he was okay.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. I'll tell you all about it when we get to my place."

Janessa still looked unsure, "Are you sure, I mean we can reschedule for some other time. Really."

Jim gave her one of his trademark down home boy smiles and said, "I'm sure. After the day I had, I could really use this. Get in your car and follow me."

Janessa's face lit up with a smile and she practically skipped to her car.

Jim's Trailer:

"Well, here it is. Home sweet home" Jim said, gesturing to his trailer as he led her inside.

"Well, This is quite the bachelor pad isn't it?" Janessa said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I guess it is, but it's tax-deductible and I can move it if I need to." Jim took his jacket off and rolled up his sleeves, "Hey, listen. Why don't you go hang out on the beach while I get the grill ready and cook a few burgers."

"That sounds great. Are you sure you don't need any help?" Janessa asked before going into Jim's room to change.

"No, really you go ahead. I'm going to change and get these burgers on the grill. We'll eat at around 8:00, Okay?" He motioned to the package of ground beef on the counter.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Janessa spent about an hour and a half laying on the beach. She couldn't believe how great Jim was. She was sure that they would have a great friendship. She had gotten quite a few stares from guys as she walked down the beach to find a place to lay her towel. In fact, she swore she saw Jim looking as she walked from his room to the door. Her curves were encased in a red bikini and those curves were in all the right places. She wasn't supermodel skinny, but she wasn't fat either. She wasn't actively looking for anyone, so she ignored the stares for the most part and relaxed.

Meanwhile, Jim was grilling hamburgers and making a salad. He had changed out of his button-down and shirt and opted for his dark blue long-sleeved shirt. He had seen Janessa in her bikini. He thought she was absolutely beautiful. He had to mentally slap himself on the back of the head to get himself to stop staring.

"Come on, Jim. You're just friends" he said to himself.

From where he was standing at the grill he could see the stares from the other guys on the beach. He wanted to fight every single one of them.

At around 7:45 Jim saw Janessa coming toward the trailer. He was impressed by her sense of timing.

"Hey, smells great. Do you care if I go change before we eat?" she asked.

"No, not at all. I still have a couple of things to bring out anyway." Jim said.

When Janessa walked back outside, she was wearing blue jean shorts and a blue crop top. Jim struck up a conversation about her day as the ate, "So, did you get to visit a lot of salons today?"

Janessa nodded while she finished chewing, "Yeah, I got to visit a few. They said I should hear back in a couple of days. I really do hope I hear back. I'm so excited to start working."

As the pair cleaned up, Janessa kept sneaking glances at the bruises and cuts on Jim's face. When the last dish was finished Janessa finally summoned the courage to say something

"Jim, you should really let me clean up those cuts. They look pretty nasty." She placed her hand on his bicep, "How exactly did that happen again?'

Jim smiled, "If it will make you feel better, you can have a look."

He saw her relax and he knew he had done the right thing. He sat down on the couch to make things easier for her.

"The alcohol is under the bathroom sink." He directed her.

"My client sent me in to get her son who was mixed up with a loan shark. She hadn't seen him for a long time. What she didn't know was that three goons were waiting for me when I got there. They jumped me, but I was able to fight them off. My job can get a little dangerous sometimes.'

Janessa continued to clean up his cuts and he told her some more stories about dangerous situations he had been involved in.

"Well, you're almost as good as new, as soon as those bruises heal," Janessa said with pride as she put the alcohol back under the bathroom sink.

"Thank you, Janessa. I really appreciate it," Jim went to give her a kiss on the cheek, but she moved her head at the last minute and he accidentally ended up kissing her lips.

The two quickly pulled away, "Oh my God, Jim. I'm so sorry!" Janessa said.

Jim gave a sly grin, "No you're not." he said as Janessa smiled back at him.

Then their lips crashed into each other with pent up passion. The two stumbled from the couch into the bedroom. Quickly their clothes were shed and the sound of lovemaking filled the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Jim woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. As he walked back into the bedroom he saw Janessa's figure lying there and he instantly became full of disappointment in himself. Even through his guilt, He couldn't deny that she looked beautiful with her ebony hair fanned out on his pillow.

"Well, Jim, you really did it this time," he said to himself as he put on a pair of pajamas.

He knew that he would have to tell her in the morning that this could never happen again. She was young and had her whole life ahead of her. She didn't need an old man like him. That would be his poor effort to make himself feel better about what they had done. He grabbed a pillow from the bed and went to sleep on the couch.

Janessa was woken up by the smell of cooking bacon. She was disappointed to find herself alone in bed. He had really hoped to wake up wrapped up in Jim's arms. Scenes from the previous night replayed in her mind. The way his mouth felt against hers as they kissed. His hands touching her bare flesh, and his gentle way of making love to her.

Everything that had happened last night was so unexpected, the kiss, the sex, the sleeping in Jim's bed. She rose from the bed to get dressed and use the bathroom. Janessa walked into the kitchen to find Jim standing at the stove in a blue bathrobe making breakfast.

"Hey, good morning. Did you sleep well?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, thanks for asking. Did you?" The small talk made things awkward.

Jim sat a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Janessa and then went into the bedroom to get dressed. He was dressed in a pair of black pants and a red sweater. She couldn't help but think that red was really Jim's color. He sat down beside her and looked as if he was getting ready to tell her that a loved one had passed away. He kept rubbing the back of his neck and wringing his hands.

"Listen, Janessa," Jim said, "What happened last night was wonderful but it can't happen again. I can't do that to Dennis. Plus, you're a young woman with your whole life ahead of you. I'm an old man who has a dangerous job. I can't do that to you. Please, don't think I regret this." He went to place his hand on top of hers, but she pulled away.

Janessa nodded at Jim's words with tears in her eyes. She knew what he was saying was true, but a part of her didn't believe it.

"I understand, Jim. I really do. I don't regret it either. Thank you for everything." She got up to leave.

Jim walked her to her car and opened the door for her. As she got in he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, "Hey, I'm sure I'll see you around."

With those words, Janessa Becker drove back to her Uncle's house with tears streaming down her face.


	8. Chapter 8

Six weeks later:

Janessa stared at the nurse at the clinic as the words, "Congratulations, you're pregnant" came out of her mouth.

She was speechless. Finally, she was able to whisper a weak "Thank You". She was handed a prescription for prenatal vitamins and a referral to an OB/GYN with instructions to make an appointment as soon as possible. Janessa's mind was absolutely reeling. How would she tell her Uncle Dennis that she was pregnant and that his best friend was the father? How would she explain to her boss that she was pregnant when she had just practically started working at his salon?

How would she tell Jim? She knew he was the father. She hadn't been with anyone since the night at Jim's trailer. She was far too sad to jump into the dating pool. She had fallen in love with Jim, with his touch. She knew it was stupid, she barely knew him. She didn't have a choice. She couldn't not tell him that she was pregnant with his child.

"Hello, this is Jim Rockford.' Jim said, sitting at his desk.

"Jim, it's Janessa." He heard on the other end of the line. He hadn't expected to hear from her. He knew he had hurt her badly when he told her that it would be best if they didn't see each other.

"Hi" he replied.

"Jim, we need to talk, please. I need you to come to Uncle Dennis's house."

Jim rubbed his forehead and squinted his eyes. He didn't want to put either of them in a situation where they would end up getting hurt. However, his gut told him he should go, and his curiosity was getting the best of him.

"Okay, okay. I'll be there in a half-hour."

Janessa released a sigh of relief, "Great! Thank You, Jim."

Dennis's Driveway

Just as he cut the engine to his firebird he saw Janessa walk toward the car. She didn't quite look like herself like something was bothering her. Janessa sat down in the passenger seat of Jim's car and wrung her hands like she didn't know how to get the words to come out of her mouth.

"Honey, everything okay?" Jim reached over and pushed her hair out of her face

Finally, she took a deep breath, "Jim, I'm pregnant. It's yours. I mean, I haven't been with anyone since the night at your trailer."

She stopped for a moment to gauge Jim's reaction and continued, "I won't lie, I'm scared, Jim. I'm really scared, but I'm going to keep the baby. I understand if you don't want to stay."

He took a deep breath and carefully thought about the next words that would come out of his mouth, "Listen, Janessa, I'm not going anywhere. I'm a better man than that, but damn it, I'm scared too. I never meant for this to happen. I'm sorry."

He looked over at her and she had tears in her eyes. He leaned over and cupped her cheek with his hand, "Have you told Dennis and Peggy yet?"

She shook her head, "No, I was too afraid. I just found out yesterday. It took me forever to summon up the courage to call you." She said with a sad smile.

"I mean, come on Jim, I don't think this will exactly be welcome news to my Uncle. What if he hates you, Jim?"

Jim squeezed her hand, "Hey, listen, we'll talk to Dennis together. I think that sooner is probably better than later, so now I have you guys and Rocky over for a barbecue tomorrow night, and we can kill two birds with one stone. I'm not going to make you do any of this alone, okay."

Jim's words made Janessa smile. She believed Jim when he said he would be there for her and the baby.

"I agree. Sooner is better than later even though it scares the hell out of me. Well, since we'll be welcoming a child that shares both of our DNA, we should probably actually get to know each other." She wiped the tears and smiled for the first time since she learned she was pregnant, "Jim, thanks for being so understanding. I think we can make this work."

Jim gave Janessa a kiss on the cheek and watched her get out of the car.

He drove back to his trailer with the biggest smile on his face that no one could wipe off his face. He was going to be a father. Finally, at 40, Jim Rockford was going to have a real purpose in life.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hey, thanks for taking the time to read this! If you would be so kind, please drop a comment letting me know if there was something you liked about this work, or if there was something that maybe you didn't like. Any suggestions are welcome and will be considered. You never know, your suggestion may make it into the revision of this work.


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